At boot Düsseldorf, the new 72-footer for Sir Robin’s Clipper Round the World Yacht Race

After three decades of round-the-world racing, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race enters a new phase with the launch of the Clipper RX, a 72-foot one-design that will form the next 12-boat race fleet from the 2027–28 edition onwards. This is a multi-million-pound investment introducing the fourth generation of ocean-going yachts, set to replace the current Clipper 70s.

The concept was developed in-house by Clipper Ventures, building on experience gained over 14 previous editions of the race and more than five million miles sailed collectively by earlier fleets. Naval architecture and structural design were entrusted to Fish Marine Design | Composites (MDC), with hull lines by Nigel Irens in collaboration with M2ED. Overall project coordination was overseen directly by the race’s co-founder and President of Clipper Ventures, the legendary Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, winner of the 1968–69 Golden Globe Race and the first person to circumnavigate the globe single-handed and non-stop. In 1994, Knox-Johnston also claimed the Jules Verne Trophy—the round-the-world record currently contested by maxi trimarans such as Sodebo and The Famous Project—together with another sailing icon, Sir Peter Blake.

The result is a 72-foot ocean racing yacht designed to balance performance, robustness and safety—key priorities in a competition sailed by non-professional crews, all comprehensively trained before departure, taking part either in the full circumnavigation or on individual legs.

Deck layout and deck architecture

The Clipper RX features a new reverse bow, fuller in volume and wider at deck level, allowing the forestay to be set further inboard. This improves both safety and ergonomics for crew working forward. The choice of hanked-on headsails has been retained, prioritising operational simplicity and reliability. Increased deck beam and greater buoyancy in the forward sections ease headsail changes and help keep the foredeck drier.

Crew protection is further enhanced by separate, dedicated access to the working cockpit and the helming position, both well sheltered by a rigid deckhouse. These solutions reduce the need to move along the deck in heavy conditions and provide improved protection for crew on watch.

Steering, hull form and volume distribution

The design incorporates transom-hung rudders, a solution that ensures strong directional control and simplifies inspection, repair or replacement if required. A dedicated safety system allows the rudders to kick up in the event of impact with floating debris. According to Nigel Irens, the Clipper RX offers a carefully optimised distribution of volumes and weights, delivering control both upwind and downwind, in line with current ocean-racing design trends.

Construction and equipment

The 12 hulls of the fleet are under construction at a yard in Qingdao, China, using infused vinylester sandwich construction with a foam core. First deliveries are scheduled during 2026. Equipment is sourced from international suppliers: Irons Brothers keels with cast-iron fin and lead–antimony bulb; Antal deck hardware; Hyde Sails; Yanmar propulsion with Whisper generator; onboard systems supplied by LKQ Aquafax; Edson steering systems; Sta-Lok rigging; Marlow ropes; Schenker watermakers; Coppercoat antifouling; and Ocean Safety safety equipment. The mast, supplied by Sparcraft Masts, measures 29.575 metres, with an air draft of approximately 30.5 metres.

Towards the 2027–28 edition

The new fleet will enter service with the 15th edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, scheduled to start in late summer 2027. The race will continue to be contested over eight legs across six continents, covering around 45,000 nautical miles in eleven months.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston will officially present the Clipper RX project to the public at boot Düsseldorf 2026, on Sunday 18 January at 14:30. Further information will be available at the Clipper Race stand (Hall 15, Stand C23).

With the Clipper RX, the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race updates its technical platform while preserving the core principle that defines the event: a strict one-design fleet in which sporting results are determined primarily by crew skill and the management of the boat in the most demanding ocean conditions.

Clipper RX – Technical data

Length overall: 22 m
Maximum beam: 5.75 m
Draft: 3.2 m
Air draft: 30.5 m
Maximum displacement: 40 t
Construction: Infused vinylester GRP sandwich with foam core

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